In a raw and heartbreaking interview that has sent shockwaves through Bravo fandom and beyond Riley Burruss the daughter of Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kandi Burruss has finally broken her silence on the emotional toll of growing up caught between two powerful women locked in a silent war
Speaking on her new podcast The Quiet Room Riley now 21 revealed the painful memories of navigating her teenage years while watching her mother Kandi and her grandmother Joyce Jones clash behind closed doors in what she describes as a "constant emotional battlefield"
I used to pray they wouldn’t appear in the same room together Riley confessed through tears I remember lying in bed before family dinners and whispering please God let one of them cancel I couldn’t handle the tension their energy would suffocate the whole house
Riley who has largely remained private despite her high-profile family name gave listeners a chilling glimpse into the psychological pressure of growing up in a house where loyalty was currency and silence was a survival tactic
There were weeks when my mom wouldn’t speak to my grandma and then days when my grandma wouldn’t even look at Todd I learned early how to walk on eggshells she said referring to Todd Tucker her stepfather and Kandi’s longtime husband
The drama between Joyce and Todd has long been fodder for RHOA storylines but Riley’s account paints a far darker picture of the emotional aftermath behind the cameras A moment that stayed with her forever she recalled was hearing her grandmother shouting that she would pull every cent out of Kandi’s company if she dared marry Todd
I was twelve I was hiding behind the staircase Riley shared I heard my grandma threaten to bankrupt my mom while my mom just stood there frozen It was the first time I realized that money in our family didn’t just mean power – it meant control
As a result Riley said she felt forced to suppress her own feelings about Todd whom she described as kind and calm to avoid upsetting the delicate power balance in her home
I wasn’t allowed to call him ‘dad’ even if I wanted to I felt like choosing to love him would be a betrayal to my grandmother And that did something to me – it made me scared of my own emotions
Despite the tension Riley spoke with compassion for both women in her life I know they both love me I never doubted that But sometimes love turns into something else when people are hurt and scared of losing control
The most devastating part of her confession came when she revealed that at age fifteen she applied to a boarding school out of state not for the education but just to escape the emotional warzone
I told my mom I wanted independence But the truth is I just wanted peace Riley admitted
Fans and fellow Bravo stars have flooded social media with support praising her courage for speaking out after years of silence Many are now calling for Kandi and Joyce to respond publicly while others are reflecting on the emotional costs of long-standing family feuds kept under wraps for years
Meanwhile Riley has teased the upcoming release of a short memoir detailing her experience growing up in a reality TV empire She says the book is not about revenge or blame but about breaking generational cycles of silence
I love my family I always will But telling my story is how I survive it she said
As the Bravo world reels from Riley’s revelations one thing is clear – the real drama was never on the show It was at home and it left scars no camera could ever capture
